decedent

noun

de·​ce·​dent di-ˈsē-dᵊnt How to pronounce decedent (audio)
law
: a person who is no longer living : a deceased person
the estate of the decedent

Examples of decedent in a Sentence

a tax on the estate of the decedent
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Choosing a fiscal year can allow the executor to match income and expenses more logically and simplify the process of closing out the decedent’s final financial matters. Ashley Case, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024 Days after a human skull and bones washed ashore on a beach in Palos Verdes Estates, authorities are still trying to identify the decedent and the cause of death, officials said. Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024 Other records include maps, old photographs, funeral home records and even death certificates, which can list the decedent’s parents. La Risa R. Lynch, Journal Sentinel, 15 Nov. 2024 Any adult person in the next degree of kinship in the order named by law to inherit the estate of the decedent. Marley Malenfant, Austin American-Statesman, 6 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for decedent 

Word History

Etymology

Latin decedent-, decedens, present participle of decedere — see decease

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of decedent was in 1599

Dictionary Entries Near decedent

Cite this Entry

“Decedent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decedent. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

decedent

noun
de·​ce·​dent di-ˈsēd-ᵊnt How to pronounce decedent (audio)
: a deceased person
used chiefly in law

Medical Definition

decedent

noun
de·​ce·​dent di-ˈsēd-ᵊnt How to pronounce decedent (audio)
: a deceased person
used chiefly in law

Legal Definition

decedent

noun
de·​ce·​dent di-ˈsēd-ᵊnt How to pronounce decedent (audio)
: a deceased person
the estate of the decedent
Etymology

Latin decedent-, decedens, present participle of decedere to depart, die

More from Merriam-Webster on decedent

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